South Norfolk Guest House

History

The village of Great Moulton (previously known as Moulton St. Michael) is home to the ‘South Norfolk Guest House’. This former village school opened in 1874 and was designed by Wisbech architects ‘Messrs. William Adams and Son’. It was built by two local farmers/bricklayers, ‘Messrs. Potter and Hernes’ at a cost of 325 pounds, 9 shillings and 8 pence, which today would be nominal fee of around £15,000.

The original building only consisted of two classrooms, the smaller one for the ‘infants’ and the other larger room for the ‘standards’. Both rooms were double height, and were embodied by the traditional windows and solid wood floor. The school’s footprint changed significantly since its construction, with the notable addition of a girl’s entrance, toilets, and a ‘wash-up’ room for serving school dinners (now the Guest House Reception). Regrettably, much of what characterised the old school is no longer visible today.

Gt. Moulton School 1922

Due to the declining number of pupils on the books, the school was inevitably closed in July 1960. The head teacher Mrs Boast said “the closing of [the] village school was not a tragedy, as the children would have better facilities in a larger school. It was not possible to teach such a small number adequately”.

So it is that the building was sold to a private couple. An application was made in February 1961 to change the use from ‘old school’ to ‘dwelling’, which was granted in April of the same year. The redundant school became one of the first in Norfolk to be converted into a family house.

The property fulfilled this role over the next 29 years, until plans were drawn to extend the existing building on a large scale, thus creating the ‘Oakbrook Residential Care Home’. Despite all the good intentions this venture did not appear to last for many years, with an early closure. Initial proposals were made in 2003 to adapt Oakbrook into a hostel for the homeless, but amid much local opposition these efforts were aborted.

Gt. Moulton Football Team 1949-50

It was in 2005 that Oakbrook (named because of the copious amount of Oak trees surrounding the old school) became the responsibility of the current owners. A rapid refurbishment programme ensured the essentials were in place for running a guest house. Since this date the building’s new use has been a soaring success, with increasing guest numbers year on year visiting this family run bed and breakfast (B&B).

Following a second phase of refurbishment in 2011, Great Moulton’s bed and breakfast officially became the ‘South Norfolk Guest House’. This second programme of work has ensured that our guests will be happy for many years to come, with the significant addition of a ‘pressurised hot water system’ and extra ensuite bedrooms, all of which ensuring greater value for our guests.

So it is that we welcome you to this remarkable place, and hope that you enjoy your stay with us.